


A Life Worth Fighting For.

by Larxicana



Series: Linked Universe [2]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: An AU of an AU, Angst, Country setting, Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, farm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2020-01-01 02:25:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18326786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larxicana/pseuds/Larxicana
Summary: After the gruesome battles and countless hardships involved with being a hero to Hyrule, Wild and Twilight decide they're going to live out the rest of their lives on a quiet, peaceful farm where they can finally slow down and just relax.But the Goddess has other plans.





	A Life Worth Fighting For.

**Author's Note:**

> Man I am on a freaking roll with these Linked Universe fics lol! This was an idea I came up with because I like a Country Bum Twilight. Thanks to everyone on the Discord server for keeping me motivated to write such a long piece! <3
> 
> The Linked Universe AU was created by Jojo on Tumblr. Ya'll should check it out!

Their day started at dawn, as it did every day, and as it had since they bought this piece of land to build their new life on. Wild made them a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast while brewing coffee for Twilight and tea for himself. Afterwards it was the morning chores - kick the cuccos out of the coop to clean it out and collect any eggs, then refresh the feed and water, milk the cows and set out fresh hay, then herd the goats to a different pasture so they didn’t nip the ground bare. After the routine tasks were taken care of, Twilight went to tackle the list of things that needed fixing, like the sticky front door of their house, the new leak that formed in the cucco coop, and the few rotted out fence posts around the goat yard. Wild broke off to tend to his crops by pulling any weeds that had popped up, trimming leaves to make room for new growth, and watering them. Twilight had rigged up a watering system for him a while back so all he had to do was turn on the spigot and water from the lake just up the hill from them would come rushing down and spray out over his crop, saving him time and back pain from lugging can after can up and down the hill. Around late afternoon he would go and get the other for lunch, usually something light with vegetables, ignoring Twilight’s grumbles about “rabbit food”, then it was back to work.

When the sun started to go down and everything was cast in an orangey, pink glow, Twilight would sit up on the hill over looking their land after dinner, under a great oak tree, to unwind from the day. Wild came trekking up to him with two glasses in hand and took a seat beside him. He handed him a cool lemonade that made Twilight coo happily. “This is the best shit.” He said then brought the glass to his lips, downing half of it in one go. Wild chuckled beside him. When he finished, he sighed happily and sagged a little, tossing him a smile. He set his glass aside to prop his arms up behind him as he turned his gaze forward again, going quiet for a long moment. “This… is ours.” He said finally.

“It is.” Wild replied quietly beside him.

“No, _this_ … all of this,” the dirty blonde motioned out in front of him, “is ours. We built this with our bare hands. No one else made this for us, not the Goddess, not the princess, not some divine magic - we made this.” He smiled and put his arm back behind him, “I like to sit here sometimes and just let that sink in.”

Wild looked out across the land, feeling a warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest. “You’re right.” He sat up a little straighter and nodded once. “We made this, and nothing makes me happier.” The two shared a smile as Twilight nudged the other with his elbow.

“I hope this never changes.” The older boy said as he flopped back and closed his eyes, putting his arms behind his head, “I want to die on this farm.”

The younger one pulled his knees up towards his chest to rest his forearms on top then nodded slowly, “Me too.”

**

The next day started the same as the one before it with breakfast, morning chores, then farm maintenance. They did venture into town a little later in the day to trade their extra goods for cucco feed and other necessities. They stopped by to see Fado, the owner of the goat ranch Twilight used to work on before everything had happened and they got their own farm. “Link!” The man exclaimed happily as he walked over to them with his arms out and a grin on his face. He put his hands on Twilight’s shoulders, “How are ya, son? How’s the farm?”

Twilight chuckled and placed his hands on the other’s forearms, “Good! Goin’ real good. Daisy finally had her kid, seems to be nice and strong.”

“That’s fantastic! I’m glad to hear it. I know it was touch and go for a while there.” Fado turned his attention to Wild and smiled, holding out a hand so they could shake. “And how you doin’, kid? I see you still ain’t cut all that hair.” Wild chuckled and shrugged, rubbing the back of his head. He had his hair pulled back into a ponytail today, but it still brushed a little lower than mid-back. “Gotta be careful. Them goats will rip that right off yer head.”

Twilight laughed and put a hand on Wild’s shoulder, “Oh they’ve tried! He learned that the hard way, didn’t ya?” The younger boy tossed him a glare and crossed his arms. “Now he just tossed his hair up into a bun where they can’t get at it. He’d kill me if I tried to cut it.”

 _Yes, I would._ Wild signed back.

Fado laughed, “Don’t need a translation for that one! Well ya’ll lemme know if ya ever need anything. Always willin’ to lend a hand after everything ya did for us.”

Twilight smiled and shook hands with the man, “We appreciate it, Mr. Fado.”

“Of course! Oh hey, before I forget,” The rancher put one hand on his hip then motioned off towards town, “Rusi was wantin’ to talk to ya’ll at some point. Said he was gonna head over around evening time, but since ya’ll are here already, might as well pop in, save the man a trip.”

The two boys nodded to each other then looked back up at the rancher, “Yeah, ‘course. Everything ok?”

“Oh yeah yeah, I’m sure it ain’t nothing to worry about. Maybe he just wanted to say hey, I don’t know.”

“Well we’ll stop by on our way back.”

“Good man.” Fado put a hand on Twilight’s head and ruffled his hair, causing the other to duck it and raise his shoulders. “Ya’ll stay outta trouble now.”

The two said their goodbyes then headed back to their horses as Twilight tried to get his hair back under control. “Makes me feel like a kid when he does that.”

Wind chuckled, _You are a kid._

“I am not! I’m like twenty-five!”

_And he’s fifty so to him, you’re still a kid._

“Ugh.”

The two mounted their horses and turned back towards town. A few villagers waved and called out to them in passing, causing the two to wave back. Wild snapped his fingers to get the other boy’s attention, _I like it here._ He signed, _It feels like a home, like everyone is one big family._

Twilight smiled, “Heh, yeah. It’s always been that way.” He reached over to slap the other’s shoulder lightly with the back of his hand, “And now yer part’a that family.” This made Wild sit up straightener as his eyes sparkled and his chest filled with happy butterflies. It was nice to have a family and a home to call his own.

Rusi’s house wasn’t far from Fado’s ranch, so they left their horses by the road and walked the rest of the way. Twilight knocked on the front door and was greeted by Uli, who looked absolutely delighted to see both of them. She gave them both hugs and ushered them into the house. “It’s so good to see you boys.” She said as she motioned them to sit down on the sofa while she went to grab some iced tea. Wild perked up at this, really liking her tea, but never figured out quite how she made it. She would never tell him, simply reply that it was an old family secret. “How are things? You boys doing alright?”

“Yes ma’am,” Twilight replied, holding his hand in his lap, “Daisy just had her kid and he’s doin’ real good so far.”

“Oh! I’m so glad to hear that.” Uli returned with two glasses of tea for them, “I know you said it was a rough pregnancy for her, the poor thing.”

Twilight took his glass to hold while Wild sucked down as much as he could without being impolite. “Yeah, the winter was hard on her, but she made it well and her kid is healthy.”

“Well then, that’s all we can ask for, isn’t it?”

Twilight chuckled, “Yes ma’am.”

Uli took a sit in an arm chair near them and held her hands in her lap, “So what brings you boys this way?”

“Well we had come in to trade some supplies, but Mr. Fado said Mr. Rusi wanted to talk to us, so we thought we’d stop by before headin’ home.”

“Oh! I remember him saying something like that. Here, he’s just out back. Let me go get him for you.” The woman stood and disappeared out the back door.

Twilight watched her go and brought his glass to his lips to take a sip. “I think it’s courser honey.” He looked over at Wild, who was holding a now empty glass and studying it with narrowed, focused eyes. He said nothing more for a minute, then looked up at the other, “There are courser bees a few yard into the forest out back.”

“Mm, uh uh,” Twilight set his glass down on the coffee table in front of him, “I don’t think so. Every time ya try to get them hives, ya end up covered in stings and I’m stuck takin’ care of ya.”

“But I think I’ve got it figured out this time!” Wild insisted, “I think if I bring a torch with me and wave it at the bees when they start flying at me, it’ll scare them off!”

“And what if you can’t get the torch lit fast enough?”

The other frowned at this, “Then… I’ll bring a lit one.”

“And how are you gonna shoot a bow if yer holding a torch?”

“Ugh shut up! I’ll figure it out, ok?”

“Why don’t chyou just buy some honey?”

“It’s not the same.” Twilight rolled his eyes at this.

Uli returned soon with Rusi not far behind her. “Link!” Rusi grinned and shook hands with Twilight, then with Wild. He out his hands on his hips, “Good to see you two. How have things been?”

The older boy smiled, “Good. How about you folks? How’s Colin?”

“Oh he’s doing good.” Rusi moved to sit down in a chair beside his wife, “He’s making real progress over there in Kakariko Village. He started his own little group of minutemen to protect the village! Got ‘em swords and everything!”

Twilight’s eyes widened in surprised, then grinned, “That’s fantastic!” Wild nudged him to get his attention and tilted his head. “Oh it’s um…” The hero lowered his voice, “it’s a different Kakariko Village.” Wild made a silent ‘oh’ in understanding and nodded.

“Yeah, he’s doing real well, couldn’t be prouder. Course we miss ‘im to pieces.” The older man smiled at his wife and took her hand to hold, “But if he’s happy, then we’re happy.” He patted his wife’s hand, causing her to smile.

“Ya’ll should be real proud.” Twilight told them with a nod, “Seems ta be doin’ real well for himself.”

Rusi smiled and nodded, “Yeah. We’ll go visit some time, let ‘im show us around.” He shifted to face the boys head on, taking his hand back from Uli. “Ah, but don’t lemme keep ya. I’m sure ya’ll got plenty to do on that farm of yers. I just wanted to let you know that I saw a group of travelers just outside the village last night, more by Hyrule Fields than here. They were camped out for the night, but they seemed pretty well armed.”

The two heroes glanced at each other and frowned, then back at him. “Do you think they’re bandits?”

Rusi made a face, “Eh, I don’t think so. Didn’t seem the type, ya know? I couldn’t hear what they were sayin’, but they were laughin’ and seemin’ ta have a good ol’ time. Had a couple of kids with them too. They could be just be mercenaries on their way to Castle Town to look for work.”

 _With kids?_ Wild signed, having Twilight translate for him.

“I know, that’s what kinda threw me off, but I figured they wouldn’t try anything if they got youngins with ‘em. Be hard to pillage a town and make a quick get away with little ones to take care of.”

Twilight put a hand to his chin in thought, then glanced up when Wild nudged him. _Even Bokoblins don’t attack when they have little ones with them,_ he said, _unless you threaten them._

“That’s a fair point.” The older boy looked back to his once mentor, “I don’t think they’ll be a problem when they’ve got kids with ‘em, just keep an eye on ‘em, yeah?”

Rusi nodded, “Of course. I’ll let you know if it looks like it’s gonna be a problem.”

“Good, and if it’s serious and ya’ll can’t get out to us,” Twilight pointed towards the mayor’s house, “light the signal fire and we’ll get here as soon as we can.”

“I don’t think it’ll get to that, but we will, I promise.”

“Good.” Twilight took a sip of his drink to finish it off and set the glass back down. “Now, not that we don’t like spendin’ time with ya’ll, but we’ve got some stuff to wrap up back home before the night comes. Was there anything else you wanted to tell us?”

Rusi sighed and shook his head as he stood up, “Nope, that was it.” He shook hands with the boys when they stood up, giving them a smile. “Ya’ll take care out there. You need anything just let us know.”

“We will, thanks.”

Uli stood up as well and held up a hand, “Oh, before you go…” She hurried back to the kitchen for a moment and returned with a large glass bottle of sweet tea. She handed it to Wild, who’s eyes grew big and sparkly. “Since you like it so much, I made up a special batch just for you.” The boy looked like he had been gifted gold from the gods, enough to make Twilight grin. Wild turned a big smile up to her then gave her a hug, earning a laugh. “You’re welcome!” She hugged him back and patted his head affectionately. “You boys stay out of trouble now.”

“We’ll try.” Twilight told her as Wild pulled away and walked over to him with his jug of sweet tea wrapped in his careful, protective arms. Back at their horses, the younger boy tucked his jug into one of the packs on his horse’s back, nestling it in around his hooded cloak so it wouldn’t tip over and spill. “I swear to Hylia, I thought stars were gonna shoot out of yer eyes.” Twilight teased. The other huffed and turned his nose up at him, causing the other to laugh.

The pair of retired heroes made their way back to their farm not far outside of town and unloaded their horses to start putting things away. Wild carefully placed his new bottle of liquid gold on the counter where he intended to enjoy some later. Twilight tossed four bags of cucco feed up onto his shoulder and straightened as he came back out to help. “The horses need new shoes.” He told him, “After we get this put away, I’m gonna go get ‘em started.”

The other nodded, “I’m gonna get dinner started. We’re having veggie soup.” The dirty blonde grumbled a little under his breath, earning a smack on the shoulder. “Hush! Who’s the one who can cook between the two of us?” Twilight said nothing. “That’s what I thought. You’re gonna eat what I put in front of you and you’re going to like it.”

“Ughhh…”

“Don’t start.”

“Ughhh!”

“Twilight I swear to Hylia!” The older boy snickered and turned to carry the cucco feed to their dry shed by the coop.

Afterwards Twilight took the reins of their horses and guided them back to the stable. He put Wild’s mare in her stall and took Epona to the barn, taking a moment to push open both sets of tall, wooden doors. He tied her up to a post and patted her neck before gathering what he would need to take care of her hooves. “You ready for some new shoes, girl?”He asked as he pulled a small cart over to her. The horse turned her head to look at him and huffed, causing him to chuckle. “I’m just gonna take that as a yes.” He grabbed his farrier apron from the cart and tied it around his waist, then around his thighs. He ran a hand from Epona’s shoulder down her front right leg, causing her to lift it for him easily. “Good girl. Yes, you know what we’re doin’.” Twilight cooed to her as he pulled her leg between his thighs to hold, then grabbed a pair of shoe pullers to get the old one off. He tossed it aside with a clang then traded out his tongs for another tool to start cleaning up her hoof.

After about an hour, he got two shoes replaced. He was glad he had made a couple extras in her size, making the process much faster. Twilight stood up straight to force his hands into his back to pop it, groaning from having been hunched over so for long, then grabbed the shirt he had taken off earlier to wipe his face with. Epona turned her head and huffed into his hair, causing him to chuckle and stoke her nose. “It’s ok, yer worth the pain, sweet pea.” He rubbed her nose and cheeks for a while, allowing himself to recover and relax before he tackled the others, but barking caused him to look up. The neighbor dog, a shaggy thing that liked to hang around and watch the goats, was losing her head over something. Frowning, Twilight let Epona go to move towards the entrance to the barn and saw a group of strangers walking up towards their house. They were an odd bunch, some nestled in armor while the others wore just tunics. There were two little boys with them, one looked excited as he danced backwards, facing the others, while the other looked around curiously. One thing that stood out the most was how well armed they were, with blades and bows strapped to their persons. Twilight wondered if this was the group Rusi mentioned. If so, what did they want from them? Deciding not to take any chances, Twilight grabbed a sword sitting in its shield by the door and pulled the belt around his waist tightly with practiced hands. “I’ll be right back.” He told Epona as he undid the rope holding her to the post in case he needed her. “Stay right here.” He then turned and started towards the group.

One of the men in the group noticed his approach and nudged another, who wore a blue tunic and gold armor. He had markings on his face in different colors, mused blonde hair, and an eye that looked far too old for his physical appearance. He held up a hand in greeting and started over to him. “Good afternoon,” he started in an accent Twilight couldn’t quite place, “forgive us for just walking up onto your property like this.”

Twilight glanced over at the rest of the group as they hung back, then looked back to the one in front of him, putting his hands on his hip. “It’s alrigh’. What can I do you boys for?” He asked. “We don’t want no trouble here.”

The man held up his hands, “No, neither do we. I know our appearance might be a bit alarming, but I assure you we do not intend to start a fight. We’re here looking for someone and was told by the villagers just down the road that you could help us.”

Now that the man was closer, Twilight could get a better look at him. He had clearly seen his fair share of fights and no doubt a war or two in his life time. There was a scar over his eye that seemed to do enough damage to render it useless and a sword perfectly positioned on his back for easy access, as well as a bow and a full quiver of arrows. He looked like he was ready for anything, which made Twilight wonder what he and the other were looking for that caused them to piss off enough creatures to attacking them.

“Depends,” Twilight started, crossing his arms, “who are ya’ll lookin’ for?”

“We heard there’s a man in this land that took down a great evil and wielded a sword of legend. He wore a green tunic and a long cap, and also carried a shield with the Hylian crest-“

“I’m sorry, but who’d ya’ll say you were?” Twilight asked with a frown, narrowing his eyes a little.

The man’s single eye widened a little, “Oh, forgive me. I didn’t even introduce myself.” He held out a hand, “My name is Time and these are my campaigns.” He motioned to the group behind him with his other hand, causing a few to wave.

Twilight eyed them for a moment, then the hand that was out stretched to him. He didn’t have a good feeling about this, but didn’t want to be down right rude to start. So he took it and shook firmly, “Link.” He decided on, figuring his real name would be easier than the nickname Wild called him. However, something like realization flashed in the older man’s eye and suddenly he started looking at him differently. It had Twilight’s instincts dialing too eleven. “What was it ya’ll said you needed this guy for?”

“I’m afraid a new threat has come to Hyrule, one we don’t fully understand yet, but is large enough to destroy not only worlds, but timelines as well.” Time explained, “As of right now, the only name we have for it is one we’ve given it. We call it The Shadow. It infects beasts and men alike, turning them into ruthless monsters with ten times the strength they would normally have. They are mindless creatures with only one goal - to kill and destroy everything in sight.”

“And ya’ll lookin’ for this guy to… what? Ask for his help?”

“Yes, that’s the plan.”

Twilight held the man’s gaze firmly, growing increasingly annoyed and uncomfortable with where this conversation was heading. He could see it in the other’s eyes, _he_ was the one they were looking for. They wanted him to join them on this crazy mission to stop whatever new evil was threatening the world again. _“Honestly I just cleaned up this fucking mess and we can’t keep it clean for a few hundred years?”_ He thought bitterly. No, he couldn’t do that again. He had built far too much to let the fucking Goddess take it away from him. “Sorry boys, but I ain’t got the faintest idea where this fella yer talkin’ about is.” He told him.

Time hummed, clearly not buying it, “That’s a shame. We’ve come very far to find him. His help would be greatly appreciated.”

“Yeah well, the world just ain’t fuckin’ unfair, now is it?” Twilight countered, leaning forward a little. He wasn’t going to be bullied into this, not again. “Now I suggest ya’ll keep movin’. It’s gonna get dark soon. There’s an inn back in town that’ll take ya’ll for the evenin’. Just west of here is Kakariko Village, just over the bridge and through the valley, can’t miss it. I suggest you try there.” The man said nothing to this in reply, simply watched him. It was aggravating. “Ya’ll have a good night.” Twilight turned to head back to the barn where he intended to finish Epona’s shoes before Wild came to get him for dinner, but the man grabbed his wrist tightly. Twilight whipped back around with a glare and a sneer, parting his lips to threaten him into releasing him, but suddenly the back of his hand started to glow. Time held up his hand to watch the Tri-Force appear on his skin, glowing brightly and well defined. Twilight felt his stomach twist at the sign and was glad he skipped lunch or else it would be all over the man’s shoes.

“I think you know exactly where he is.” Time spoke in a calm voice as he stared into him with a piercing, focused eye. “The Goddess demands your serve, hero.”

Twilight’s glare shot up to the other’s face, “Fuck the Goddess!” He snapped as he bared a bit of fang, causing a few of the boys behind Time to gasp. “She can kiss my ass! I’ve given that bitch enough of my mind, body, and soul, she ain’t gettin’ no more! I ain’t got anythang left to give! After all the shit she put me through the first time, you think I’m just gonna give up everything for her again? No, I don’t fuckin’ think so!” He dipped his head to deliver a deadlier glare, “Now you best let me go or risk losin’ yer hand.” Time frowned but said nothing and didn’t remove his hand, not until an arrow flew over it so close, to cut the fabric of his glove. Time quickly whipped his hand back and looked to find the source. Twilight didn’t feel bad in the least. He did warn him. Standing just at the base of the stairs leading into their house was Wild, holding a bow and another docked arrow, ready to let it fly with deadlier accuracy.

“Wait!” A brunette in brown pants and a green tunic stumbled forward with his hand lifted, eyes wide. “We didn’t come here to fight! We just want to talk!”

“Ya’ll done enough talkin’!” Twilight shouted as he took a few steps away from Time and put a hand on the hilt of his sword. “Ya’ll just march onto our property and start demandin’ I drop everything in the name of some fucking Goddess that don’t give two shits about anything but her little game of life and death? I don’t think so! Ya’ll best turn around and go right back to wherever’s you came from, because we don’t want any part of it!”

The boy put his hands together and looked at him, “You don’t understand! This darkness has started to infect everything, not just the monsters! I’ve watched it turn entire landscapes black, sucking the life out of everything it touches! It has to be stopped!”

Wild’s eyes widened a little at this, then glanced to Twilight. The older one pointed at him quickly, “No!” Then pointed at the brunette, “No! We ain’t doin’ that shit again! We did our time, saved Hyrule from Ganon and the darkness. If the fucking Goddess can’t keep it that way, that’s her problem, not ours!”

“We?” Twilight’s gaze snapped to Time when he spoke, feeling his heart sink into his stomach when he realized his mistake. The man in the gold armor looked to Wild with a curious gaze, studying him for a long moment, “You’re a hero too, aren’t you?”

Twilight whipped his sword from its shield to hold the tip close to the other’s neck, causing Time’s eyes to snap back to him and for his hands to raise passively. Behind him, a few in his group grabbed their weapons, but Time waved them off with a small gesture. “Don’t you even think about it. He’s off limits. We got a nice thing goin’ here, and I’ll be damned if I let some strangers walk into our property and threaten that.” Twilight growled.

Time took a step back, “You’re right, that was quite brash of us.” He glanced between the man with the sword and his campaign, “We’ll leave at your request and head to the inn back in town. We’ll be there for a few nights, should you reconsider.”

“Don’t waste your rupees. It ain’t gonna happen.”

The man nodded, “And it might not. All I ask is that you give what we said some thought.” He took a few more steps back until Twilight lowered his sword a fraction. Time glanced to the brunette, who still looked upset, but seemed to understand. The two returned to the rest of the group and started to make their way back down the road, a few glancing back one more time.

Twilight sheathed his sword then sighed as he rubbed his face. He didn’t need this. _They_ didn’t need this. He could feel the familiar stress of the world sitting on his shoulders start to take form and he _didn’t need this._ He ran a hand up through his hair then turned to start back towards the barn, but Wild jogged up behind him to grab his arm. “What was that about?” He asked quietly, looking concerned.

“Wild, I really don’t wanna talk about this right now.” The dirty blonde told him, holding up a hand.

“You nearly slit a man’s throat because he _looked_ at me.” The other frowned, “We’re going to talk about this right now.”

“Ugh, Wild! Just- drop it, will ya?!” Twilight turned to face him, pushing his hands up into his hair.

“No!” The younger one grabbed his wrists to yank his hands from his hair, narrowing his eyes at him, “You’re not going to do this again. We talked about this. You promised - you promised! - you weren’t going to do this! Tell me what that was about, Twilight!”

The older boy glared down at him, but Wild didn’t budge. Hylia, he was stubborn… Twilight sighed again and looked away, frowning as he glared at nothing for a long moment. “They came here lookin’ for the hero of this land.” He told him quietly, meeting his gaze again. “They some how figured out it was me and tried to get me to join them on some stupid quest to save the world again.” He shrugged, “Somethin’ about a shadow.”

Wild nodded, “I heard that part. Is it serious?”

Twilight made a face, “I don’t know and nor to I care.”

The other frowned at this, “You don’t _care?_ Since when did you stop caring about people?”

“I didn’t! I do care about people, but that ain’t the point!”

“How is that not the point? If people are in trouble by some great evil, we need to help them!”

“There!” Twilight took his hand back to point at him, “Right there! That’s my problem! Why does it gotta be us? Why do we gotta drop everythin’ to go save the fucking world _we just saved?_ It ain’t been two years since you defeated Ganon and all of a sudden the kingdom is in trouble again? No, I don’t think so! We did are fucking part - we fought the battles, we cleared the temples, we locked Ganon’s ugly ginger ass away. I ain’t throwin’ everythin’ we’ve builthere away for a damn Goddess that don’t give a shit about us!”

Wild frowned, reaching out to grab his wrist again, “But Twilight, who else is going to do it?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care!” The older man waved a hand towards the road, “Them folks seemed well armed! Let them deal with it!”

“But what if they’re not strong enough? What if they need our help?”

Twilight narrowed his eyes down at the other in disbelief, “You can’t be serious. Are you… are ya honestly thinkin’ about gettin’ back into that shit?” Wild opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead he glanced down at the grass. “No! Wild,” he took hold of the other’s shoulders, moving to look him in the eye, “we talked about this! We agreed we weren’t gonna do that again! When you defeated Ganon, when we came back here, we swore we would never to go war again!”

“I know, but I… I can’t just _sit_ here if I know there’s this evil presence growing in the distance, just waiting to wipe Hyrule off the map!” He looked back up at him, “You know the average person doesn’t stand a chance at sealing any sort of darkness away! It has to be someone chosen by the Goddess!”

“So you would just throw away everythin’ we’re made here, just to run off on some stupid quest the Goddess created because she was bored in whatever high heaven she’s watching us from?!”

“What else are we supposed to do, Twilight?! Just bury our heads into the sand and pretend this isn’t happening?!” Wild made a motion to the acres of farm land around them, “What if what they said was right, that this darkness is crawling over the landscape, sucking the life out of everything it touches?”

“What about the livestock and the horses and your crops?! If we just up and leave, who’s gonna take care of that shit?! We’ll come back to nothin’ but dead earth and bleached skeletons and have to start all over again!”

“But if we do nothing and this darkness comes running in, it’s gonna kill all of that anyways! If we go out and try to stop it before that happens-“

“No!” Twilight took a step back and threw out his hands, “I ain’t doin’ this again! I can’t! I can’t- I can’t go do this again, Wild! I can’t…” His brows knotted together as his lips thinned and quivered. Wild’s eyes widened a little, then softened as he frowned and took the other’s hands into his. Twilight pressed his lips together as he glanced away, feeling his eyes burn and his throat tighten. He was quiet for a long moment before he looked back to the other, “Every time I put on that tunic, I lose someone.” He told him in a quiet voice. “Every time… I get cut a little deeper, _every time,_ I lose a little more of myself.” He leaned forward as the skin under his wide eyes started to quiver, whispering, “I can feel it! I can feel myself slip away, only ta be replaced by this cold, hard, lifeless thing! And it scares the shit outta me! I-I’m afraid one day, I’m gonna wake up, and nothin’ is gonna make me happy! I’ll just be this empty shell movin’ through existence and I can’t-…” His voice cut out and he ducked his head, balling his hands into fists.

Wild’s brows frowned up as he watched the other’s body shake and tremble. He let go of his hands to step forward and wrap his arms around him tightly, leaning his head against his. Twilight hesitated for a moment, then slowly returned his hug, gripping tighter him and tighter until he was clinging to his shirt. He buried his face into his neck to try and hide himself and his emotions. Wild was quiet for a long time as he took in the other’s trembles with a steady form and listened to him sniffle, then he closed his eyes. “I know…” he started quietly, “it’s not fair. You pick up the sword because it’s the right thing to do, because someone has to, because there are terrible things happening to the people you love and you have to do something to try and make it stop…” He took in a shaky breath as his face twisted, “And it _hurts._ It hurts so bad. Even after the physical wounds heal, there are still these moments and memories that plague your mind long after it’s over, like you’re cursed to walk this road forever. I know, and it hurts…” He pulled back to put his hands on the other’s shoulders and look into his red rimmed eyes, “but you know what hurts more than all that? The guilt of not having done anything at all.” He pressed his lips together as emotion washed threw him, taking a deep breath in through his nose, “You’ll look back and think about all the pain and suffering the people you loved have gone through and know that you had the power to stop it. Someone loses a child to the darkness, and you look at their grieving family and know that you had the power to stop it. Twilight,” Wild shook his head as a tear ran down his face, “it’s not easy and it’s not fair. Every night I was fighting the Calamity, I would pray to the Goddess for a simple life, something that made me truly happy, and now I have all this, and you, and I have to give it all up. It hurts and I hate it and I want to kick and scream and rip my hair out, but I can’t.” He gripped his shoulders tighter, “I _can’t_ live with anymore guilt. I can’t do it. If we did nothing and this darkness came the next day, or a month from now, or a year, and it kill all our crops and our animals and Goddess forbid _you,_ I… I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t be strong enough to come back from that. I want to fight for this,” he motioned to their land, “I want to fight for what we’ve made here and for the way of life I love so much. Do you understand?”

Twilight stared down at him, lips firmly pressed together to keep them from quivering, then glanced down at the grass between them. He was quiet for a long minute, then finally, he nodded a little. “Yeah,” he said in a quiet, broken voice, “yeah I do. I just…” He glanced away and threw up a hand then let it drop to hit his leg. He shook his head and looked back down at the other, “I’m tired, Wild.”

“I know.”

“After everything, I was finally at a place in my life where things felt good. And now it’s just…”

“I know.”

Twilight stared down at the grass for a long time, his brows knotting together, then sighed and rubbed his face. “I need time.” He said he as looked back at him, “We need to… get things straight, find someone to take care of things while we’re gone.”

Wild nodded, “We can do that tomorrow.”

“I don’t wanna do this.”

“I know, but this time, we won’t be alone. We’ve got each other.”

Twilight’s brows started to knit again, “Wild, what if I lose-…”

“Hush, no.” Wild duck into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the other’s tears, “You aren’t going to lose anything this time; not the farm, and not me.” He put his hands on his hips and smiled, “Please, I have done some really stupid shit and came out just fine. Remember the time I thought it would be fun to ride on top of a walking Guardian?”

A laugh forced itself out of the older man’s throat, followed by a sniffle, “And it whipped ya off like a pissed off bull and started shootin’ yer ass off?”

“Yeah! See, if I can do that and be just fine-…”

“Ya had burn marks on yer ass for a week.”

 _“And be just fine,_ then we can handle this.”

Twilight pressed his lips together and nodded, “Yeah… yeah, yer right.” He sighed and ran a hand down his face, then looked out across their land as he felt a familiar hollow spot start to form in his chest, the place where his life here sat. It was already starting to slip away.

Wild tilted his head as he watched him with a frown, but tried to pull on a smile for him and patted his shoulders. “Go finish doing what you’re doing then get washed up for dinner. It’s almost done.” He waved a hand at him, “And for Hylia’s sakes, put on a shirt. We had company and you’re out here barely dressed.”

Twilight blinked then looked down at himself, forgetting he had taken off his shirt when he was working on Epona’s hooves. He chuckled a little and looked back up at him, “I forgot.”

Wild didn’t look impressed, “Of course you did. Out here running around like you’re some kind of country bumpkin.”

“I am a country bumpkin. And this is mah property. If I wanna run around naked, I’m gonna!”

“Ugh!” The other pressed his finger tips to his forehead as ducked his head, making a face, “No, I don’t want to see that.” He turned to start back towards the house.

Twilight couldn’t help but grin, “What? Wild, wait!”

“No!”

“Come on!”

“No!”

“But we went skinny dipping at those Goron hot springs!”

“I”m not listening to you!”

Twilight chuckled a little, feeling a bit of that heaviness from before dissipate. Maybe Wild was right, maybe this time would be different. They had each other to lean on instead of facing the impossible by themselves. It would be like the old days when they ran around Wild’s world causing mayhem. Of course this isn’t what Twilight wanted. He had hoped to stay on this farm until he was old and dying, but if he had to be dragged out for another Goddess forsaken quest, he was glad it would be with him. The man sighed at himself and ran a hand up through his hair then turned to finish fitting Epona with new shoes.

**

The next few days did not go as every other had. Instead they were busy making preparations for their departure and talking to the villagers. Honestly, Twilight was surprised by how many people were willing to step in and keep their farm going while they were gone. They had at least ten volunteers within the first ten minutes, Fado included. “Ya’ll done so much for Hyrule and never asked for anything in return.” The ranch owner told them, “It’d be an honor to take care of yer homestead while yer off savin’ the world again.” It was a good thing he wasn’t usually a crier, because he felt a big wave of emotion take him over. Wild had put his hands to his mouth and smiled up at him with watery eyes. Their farm would be taken care of, it would flourish, regardless of their absence. They wouldn’t need to start all over again when they came back. Instead, they’d be about to pick up right where they left off, and the amount of relief the thought gave them was overwhelming.

They showed a few of the volunteers where everything was and explained the schedule for feeding and herding. Wild made sure to show them how the watering system for his garden worked and which plants needed more than others. Thankfully, since they lived in a little country farm village, everyone had a good understanding of the happenings that went into keeping one going. Both heroes felt confident that everything would be well taken care of.

With the farm situation taken care of and the weight of worry off their shoulders, they went to talk to the group of travelers from before to tell them that they would join them. They were thrilled. A little boy with shaggy blonde hair named Wind jumped them with hugs and thanks, which made Twilight smile a little. They also learned that each person in the group were actually all from different worlds with the same sort of storyline as their own. Twilight wasn’t sure why he was surprised, since he had met Wild, but he hadn’t imagined there would be so many. If the Goddess needed nine heroes, all capable of defeating and sealing away great evils by themselves, then the threat had to be far more serious than Twilight originally thought.

Finally, the day they would be leaving the village came. Twilight and Wild made their way down into the basement of their cabin and to a hidden magic door built into the wall. They had both collected some seriously dangerous weapons during their travels and didn’t want to take the chance of someone breaking in and finding them just laying in some random chest. They pushed the crates and barrels out of the way then stood in front of the very unassuming wall. They pressed their palms to it, bit hesitated.

“It’s been a while.” Twilight spoke, glancing over at the other, who hummed and nodded. He paused, feeling his heart pound against his ribs. “What if it don’t open?” He tossed him a half grin, “Would it mean we can’t go and have ta stay?”

Wild tossed him a look, “No, it would mean we’d be starting all over again like when we first set out, buying cheap swords and shitty gear that doesn’t fit right.”

Twilight made a face, “Well shit, if that’s our only option, then I hope it opens.” He sighed and eyed his palm against the stone for a moment, then stood up straight. “Alright, let’s do this.” It was quiet in the basement for a long moment, until he spoke: “Link, Hero of the Twilight.” Around his hand, the stone started to glow a golden yellow color that had his heart aching as it reminded him of the realm he once ran through.

“Link, Hero of the Wild.” The younger one beside him said soon after, causing where he touched to glow a rich blue.

The lights grew brighter and brighter until the Tri-Force marks on the back of their hands finally appeared. Twilight’s mouth twisted at the sight of it, but didn’t take his hands from the stone. A gold line shot down the middle from the top to the bottom, then slowly started to part, causing the room to rumble. The two stepped back and watched as the secret door opened to reveal several chests, weapon stands, and armor displays. Twilight frowned at the sight of his green tunic, still as pristine as the day he put it down here. When a hand touched his arm, he blinked himself out of his thoughts to look at the other, who gave him an encouraging smile. Twilight gave him a little one in return, then turned back to the room. With a deep breath, he stepped forward to gather what he would need for their newest quest.

They started with their tunics first. Twilight pulled the cream undershirt on first, followed by chainmail, then his tunic. He frowned and pulled his arms forward to round his back, feeling the piece pinch him in the armpits. “It’s smaller than I remember.” He said.

Wild yanked his shirt over his head and tossed him a grin, “Maybe you’re just fat.”

Twilight’s head whipped around to glare at him with large, offended eyes, “I ain’t fat!”

The other snickered and tossed his shirt aside, “Can you still fight in it?”

Grumbling, Twilight tested his range of motion, “Yeah, but I’ll need ta fix it at some point.” He grabbed his leather gauntlets to pull on and fasten then glanced over at Wild as he pulled his blue tunic over his head and light undershirt. “I can’t believe you run around in PJs as a default.” He grinned, “I’d be in that sick Ancient Armor ya got all the time.”

Wild made a face and pulled the belt around his waist tight. “It’s hot and doesn’t breathe very well. Besides, the helmet makes me look funny and I can’t do anything with my hair when it’s on.”

“You could cut it.”

“And I could cut your hands off, but we don’t always get what we want.” Twilight laughed and tipped his head back at that, causing the other to grin.

Once they were dressed, Twilight snatched the hat from the display, but paused, turning it over in his hands. “Ya know what?” He smirked and stood a little straighter, then chucked the hat with enough force to give a very satisfying ‘fwap’ when it hit the back wall. “I ain’t gonna wear the hat.”

Wild pulled his head out of a chest to raise a brow at the sad, crumpled hat on the floor, then glanced up at Twilight, “…ok? Um… did you have to throw?”

“Yes, yes I did. I feel like it’s a middle finger to the Goddess.” The younger one tossed him an unimpressed look then rolled his eyes before he went back to his digging. “Ya know what else?”

Wild sighed and closed the chest to look at him again, only to make a face when he started to undo the belt around his waist. “You’re not going naked, right? You have to wear something.”

Twilight pointed at him, “That happened once and you just won’t let it go.”

“Not when you thought you could take on a Guardian with a mop.”

“That Goron moonshine was a lot stronger than he led me on ta believe.”

“Mhm.”

The older man set his leather belt on a small side table then grabbed the thicker, more colorful ones he wore around the farm and was also traditional for men to wear in the village. He wrapped these around his waist securely, then grabbed the leather belt again to pull tight over top. He fastened it then slapped the buckle before turning to Wild, “Whatchya think?” He put his hands on his hips and smirked proudly. “Little bit of home comin’ with me.”

Wild’s face softened as he smiled, “Yeah, I like it. Oh! Oh wait!” He looked around, putting a finger to his chin, then stood to dug through a few other chests. “Here,” he pulled out a thick black wolf pelt and turned to hold it up for the other to see.

Twilight made a face, “Why were ya keepin’ animal pelts down here?”

Wild lowered the fabric to stare at him, then shrug as he made an ‘I don’t know’ sound in his throat. He stepped over the mess he made to stand before the other. “Hold this.” He handed him the pelt then grabbed the leather belt around his waist to undo again.

The older one watched, “Ya know, I know girls that’ll charge good money for what yer doin’.”

“Twilight, I swear to the Goddess…”

The man snickered.

Wild worked to drape the pelt over his shoulders, then secured it to his waist with the belt. When he finished, he took a few steps back to look at the whole picture and nodded once with a smile. “I like it.”

Twilight touched the fur on his shoulders then twisted to study the way it draped over his back. He looked back to the other, “I don’t know. This feels like some kinda version of cannibalism.” Wild rose a brow at him. “Ya know, cause I can turn into a wolf and this is a wolf pelt.” The other continued to stare at him, causing Twilight to shove him, “Shut up! Quit lookin’ at me like I’m stupid! I ain’t stupid!”

Wild snickered then pressed his lips together to try and hide it. “No, come on. It totally fits.” He told him, waving to his form, “It’s like rugged and it’ll keep you warm and it reflects the wolf inside you. Besides, people wear fur all the time.” He crossed his arms then put a finger to his chin as he studied the fur. He pointed at him, “I think you gave me this pelt.”

“Oh well hell,” Twilight twisted to look at himself again, “if I was the one that killed it, I don’t feel bad wearin’ it.”

“Good. It looks good on you. Very fitting.” Wild moved back to the chest he was looking through before to dig through it some more.

The two gathered what weapons they would need and could carry on their backs, but stuffed everything else into packs. From the back of the room, Wild retrieved his Sheikah Slate and tapped the screen a few times, grinning when it lit up. “Hey! It still works!” He turned it to show Twilight, who just sneered at the device like it had personally offended him. Wild rolled his eyes, “It’s not gonna steal your soul.”

“It might.”

“It won’t.”

“Ya don’t know that.”

“I carried the damn thing for two years and I still have my soul. If it was in the business of soul sucking, it would have by now.” Wild tapped the screen a few times to get accustomed to all its features again, then pointed it at his stock pile of weapons, causing them to glow blue before fading away, disappearing into the slate for later recall. He then hopped over to Twilight where he was checking over his pair of Clawshots and wrapped an arm around his neck to yank him in close as he lifted his slate above them to take a picture. The older squawked and dropped the devices, then tossed the other a look. Wild stuck his tongue out at him, “Come on! Smile! We haven’t taken a picture in forever.” Twilight sighed and rolled his eyes, but indulged him with a smile. Then Wild made his eyes big and twisted his mouth to make a funny face. Twilight did too and waited for the exact moment he pushed the picture button to turn his head to lick a strip up his cheek. Wild squealed in disgust and jumped away from him, rubbing his cheek with his sleeve. “Ugh! Twilight!”

The older boy grinned, “What? I lick ya all the time as a wolf and ya just laugh and pat mah head.”

“Yeah, but you’re a wolf then! You’re cute and fluffy!”

“And I’m not cute and fluffy right now? I’m wearing a pelt!”

Wild narrowed his eyes at him a little, “No, you’re not cute.” He paused and glanced away, “Although I guess the fluffy thing is true. You did put on a little weight since you last worse that tunic.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in offense as he gasped, “Oh you little piece’a shit!” Wild grinned and jumped out of the way when he made a grab for him. He put the slate on his belt then dashed towards the stairs that led back up to the house, but Twilight was faster. He scooped up his Clawshot, took aim, and snagged the boy by his belt. Wild yelped and flailed as he was dragged back, struggling to stay on his feet. When he got close enough, Twilight dropped the device to wrap an arm around his neck and forced him forward so he could hold his head against his waist then dug his knuckles into his head. The younger hero let out a cry and grabbed at his arm with one hand while he tried to bat his abusive fist away with the other. “I cannot _believe_ you just called me fat! And then ya called me ugly too? I don’ think so!” After a few moments, he took his hand away from his head, but didn’t release him. Instead, he put a hand to his chin and looked around. “Now let’s see. What else to I need to grab before we head out?” He abruptly turned around, causing Wild to squawk and scramble to follow or risk falling. “Let’s see… I got my sword, shield… bow, arrows, bombs… Clawshots… oh! Where’s my Hawkeye mask?” He turned back around, earning another loud protest from the boy under his arm. “Did I put it…? No, no I think it’s over here.” Once more he turned then started to the other side of the room, causing Wild to hobble after him.

“Twilight!”

“No wait maybe it _was_ back over there.”

“Twilight!”

“Or did I put it in with my bow? I didn’t see it before…”

“Damn it, lemme go!”

The older boy paused and looked down at him, “I’m sorry, did chya say somethin’?” He narrowed his eyes, “I couldn’ hear ya over all mah _fluff.”_

“Jackass!” Twilight abruptly turned sharp enough for Wild to stumble to one knee then scramble back up. “Ah! Fine! I take it back! I take it back!” The older boy finally let him go, causing Wild to groan and straighten, rubbing his neck as he made a little face. “Ugh you’re the worst.”

“Yup.” Twilight nudged him with his elbow then went back to actually looking for his mask.

When they finally finished gathering their supplies, they double checked the room to make sure they didn’t forget anything. “That looks like all of it.” Twilight said, patting his person, then his pockets. “Just one last thing.” He turned and grabbed a small, beautifully decorated box off a high shelf in the back. He shifted to hold it underneath with one hand and opened it with the other, revealing a shard of twilight, a black stone that had an eerie gold and red glow. He grabbed it by the leather core that ran through it to lift it out of the box and admire quietly, watching it shift colors as it swung slowly. “Ya know… I look at this tiny piece’a rock and feel like… it’s a physical part of me, ya know? Like a part of my soul in crystal form.”

“Yeah I get that.” Wild replied quietly from where he sat on top of a closed chest.

Twilight set the box aside to pull the core over his neck to let the shard rest against his chest. He eyed it for a moment, then tossed the other a half grin, “Do you miss me being a wolf?”

Wild gave him a dry look, “You certainly talk less.”

“Oh yer just full’a sass today, ain’t chya?”

Wild giggled into his hand.

Twilight closed the box again and returned it to the shelf before sighing, “Alright, let’s get outta here before I change my mind and decide I ain’t leavin’.”

They closed the rock wall behind them, regardless of the fact that it was pretty much empty now, then moved the boxes and barrels back into place. Back on the first floor of their house, Wild made a quick detour into the kitchen to capture the jug of sweet tea he had been given, but hadn’t opened yet. He smiled and waved the Shekiah Slate at Twilight, “We can have some on the road when we’re feeling down or homesick.”

Twilight smiled, “Ah, good thinkin’, cause I feel like that’s gonna happen a lot.”

Out front they met with Fado who came to see them off and pick up the first shift of watching their farm. He gave them firm hugs and made them promise to come back safe. Twilight wasn’t sure if they would be able to keep it, but it was a nice thought. They took their time saying goodbye to the animals. A couple of the goats seemed to understand what was happening and nosed at their chests, which nearly broke Wild’s heart. The really hard part was saying goodbye to their horses. The last time Twilight went on an epic quest, Epona came with him, fighting every step of the way right beside him, but this time she’d have to stay behind.

Twilight stroked her nose lovingly as he stood by the fence to the horse pasture. “Now you just take an easy, ok girl? You enjoy this simple life while I’m gone.” Epona huffed and pressed her nose into his hands more. “Ah shit, gonna make me cry, girl.” Twilight said with a watery smile, “Now Mr. Fado’s gonna take real good care’a you. Said he’ll take ya for long rides and feed chya ton of apples. The red kind, not the green. I told him how particular ya were.” He held her jaw gently as he leaned forward to kiss her nose and her forehead, then rested his against it as he closed his eyes. “I love you. You be good girl, alright?” He stayed there for a long moment, taking a slow deep breath to keep his throat from swelling up with emotion. He gave her one last kiss, “I’ll see ya when we get back. Love you, baby girl.” He patted her nose, trying to smile at her but had to press his lips together. He swallowed hard, nodded a few times, then let her go. He didn’t look back for fear that he would actual cry.

Standing at the top of the hill by the road waited Wild, who looked about as good as he felt. He was gazing out over their farm, gripping the strap that held his sword to his back tightly. Twilight turned to admire the view as well, saying nothing for a very long moment. “You should take a picture of this.” He eventually murmured quietly, as though afraid to ruin the moment. “I wanna remember this exactly how it is right now.” Wild nodded and pulled his slate from his belt. Twilight watched him hold it up, lining up the perfect shot, then snapped the picture. They studied it together afterwards and Twilight nodded once, “Good, good…”

Wild gazed at it for a moment longer, then looked up at the other, “It’ll be here when we get back.” He said quietly, Twilight wasn’t sure if he was trying to comfort him or himself.

“Yeah, yeah of course.” Twilight put his hands on his hips and gazed out over their land again. “This right here is ours. We built this. We made somethin’ great for ourselves, and if nothin’ else,” he looked down at the other, a little more determined now, “this is what we’ll be fightin’ for.”

Wild took a deep breath through his nose, then nodded once as he stood up a little straighter. “We’re doing this for us this time around.”

The older man wrapped an arm around the other’s shoulders to pull him close, nodding, “Damn right. Well said.”

They stood there for a while longer, neither really willing or wanting to leave. Finally Wild sighed and put a hand on the other’s wrist, “Come on, we should get going. The others are waiting for us.”

“Yeah,” Twilight cleared his throat then took a deep breath, “Yer right.” He sighed and turn to start down the road towards town, “Let’s go save the world again.”

Wild smiled up at him, “And save our farm.”

Twilight smiled back at him, nodding once, “Yeah, and save our farm.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if you see any errors! I tried to read through it and catch everything, but stuff can slip through lol


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